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Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

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    Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

    Problem:

    Using Alpha4 DOS versions on primarily an XP machine.

    Solution:

    1. Reformat hard drive

    2. Create a small DOS v6.22 (or earlier) FAT16 partition (2GB maximum size)

    3. Install normal Windows XP / XP Pro NTFS 32 bit file system creating a dual boot system.

    4. Install Alpha4 in DOS partition

    5. Install Windows XP programs in Windows partition.

    End of problem.
    Last edited by Dave McClain; 03-29-2007, 11:12 PM.

    #2
    Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

    Dave

    Why not buy a used machine and run DOS 6.22 on it? Or are you running DOS and XP at the same time from those 2 partitions?

    A4V8 runs very well on XP while other XP programs are also running....
    Al Buchholz
    Bookwood Systems, LTD
    Weekly QReportBuilder Webinars Thursday 1 pm CST

    Occam's Razor - KISS
    Normalize till it hurts - De-normalize till it works.
    Advice offered and questions asked in the spirit of learning how to fish is better than someone giving you a fish.
    When we triage a problem it is much easier to read sample systems than to read a mind.
    "Make it as simple as possible, but not simpler."
    Albert Einstein

    http://www.iadn.com/images/media/iadn_member.png

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

      Originally posted by Al Buchholz View Post
      Dave

      Why not buy a used machine and run DOS 6.22 on it? Or are you running DOS and XP at the same time from those 2 partitions?

      A4V8 runs very well on XP while other XP programs are also running....
      Al,

      This was my solution to save my old A4 V2.1 that I have been using for 16 years. Can't afford the A4 V7 or V8 since taking early retirement otherwise I would buy it and use it as an XP program. I tried evaluation copy of A5 V8 and just don't feel like starting over learning it and converting a 300,000 record + .dbf file.

      You can't run XP NTFS file system and DOS 6.22 at the same time in the same partition, you must boot to either one or the other. I use A4 V2.1 on another machine too, an old Dell Windows ME FAT32 file system but that machine won't last forever either. It's my little home server.

      I format and reinstall once or twice a year anyhow and I was due for the first one on this XP machine so I did it. So I can send files back and forth to each machine through XP but don't dare open them in XP. A4 V7 or V8 would be more convenient but that may happen at a later time.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

        Had the same problem with the A5V8 system "hanging" just last night, right after reading your post. Thought maybe it was a telepathic bug. After about 5frustrating task manager closes and restarts, I finally realized that the table I was opening (with 2.8 million records) was read-only since I had moved it to this computer from another via a CD. As soon as I removed the "read-only" status from the table, everything worked fine.

        I am now comfortable reading the message board without having to worry about picking up a telepathic bug.

        Good luck and don't give up on A5V8 yet. Wouldn't it be great if we could get a version of A5V8 that looked and felt the same as A4, but with all the new features built into that familiar shell? We'd already know where to look for our old favorites, but be pleasantly surprised when new ones also appeared in menus and the drop down lists for selection.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

          Originally posted by Janet Park View Post
          Had the same problem with the A5V8 system "hanging" just last night, right after reading your post. Thought maybe it was a telepathic bug. After about 5frustrating task manager closes and restarts, I finally realized that the table I was opening (with 2.8 million records) was read-only since I had moved it to this computer from another via a CD. As soon as I removed the "read-only" status from the table, everything worked fine.

          I am now comfortable reading the message board without having to worry about picking up a telepathic bug.

          Good luck and don't give up on A5V8 yet. Wouldn't it be great if we could get a version of A5V8 that looked and felt the same as A4, but with all the new features built into that familiar shell? We'd already know where to look for our old favorites, but be pleasantly surprised when new ones also appeared in menus and the drop down lists for selection.

          Janet,

          I am a "late bloomer" with the Alpha 5 versions and never used one until the evaluation copy of A5 V8. I probably didn't give myself time to look it over more but I want to use my data base and not learn it all over again. I suppose A5 is forced progress initiated by the MS operating systems and the Alpha programmers do a fine job but I just don't need it all. If they had another switchable GUI to look like A4 versions, that may work too and all those using the older A4 could buy and use the newer A5 versions and feel right at home without the need for a support staff to maintain it.

          Hanging in there..........

          DHM

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

            I have been trying to run Alpha 4 v3 on XP and it works after I "ignore" a message about a Symantec dll that is missing and "Continue" after a message about file handles and buffers in config.sys.

            I am concerned however about the files and buffers in the config.sys file. I am not finding this file. Can anyone point me to where the config.sys file that windows xp loads is located so I can edit the appropriate lines?

            I get both of these messages on A4V3 and A4v8 on the particular machine they are installed on. The machine these programs are installed on are company PC's and I don't have permission to set up partitions on it myself. If that's what needs to be done, I will have to have our IT department do that for me. Alpha 4 is not supported by our IT.

            Any advice would be appreciated.

            BTW, this is my first post even though I have used Alpha 4 (mostly) and Alpha 5 (occasionally) for as long as Alpha 4 v2 was introduced. It was and is a great product. Too bad the operating systems have left it behind.

            I'm sure there are some of you folks out there that have enough experience with A4 on Windows to tell me what I need to do.
            EJ
            In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is. - Unknown

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

              Originally posted by TLARbb View Post
              I have been trying to run Alpha 4 v3 on XP and it works after I "ignore" a message about a Symantec dll that is missing and "Continue" after a message about file handles and buffers in config.sys.

              I am concerned however about the files and buffers in the config.sys file. I am not finding this file. Can anyone point me to where the config.sys file that windows xp loads is located so I can edit the appropriate lines?

              I get both of these messages on A4V3 and A4v8 on the particular machine they are installed on. The machine these programs are installed on are company PC's and I don't have permission to set up partitions on it myself. If that's what needs to be done, I will have to have our IT department do that for me. Alpha 4 is not supported by our IT.

              Any advice would be appreciated.

              BTW, this is my first post even though I have used Alpha 4 (mostly) and Alpha 5 (occasionally) for as long as Alpha 4 v2 was introduced. It was and is a great product. Too bad the operating systems have left it behind.

              I'm sure there are some of you folks out there that have enough experience with A4 on Windows to tell me what I need to do.
              TLA,

              The file you are looking for is config.nt found in your Windows system32 directory.

              However, those who have tried to use less that A4 V7 in XP have reported file corruption because A4 V7 and higher are the only A4 versions compatible with XP or XP Pro. I have not witnessed this because I believe the experts here so I finally upgraded to A4 V8. From what I have read, lower A4 versions may appear to run fine until you witness the "gotcha." Be forewarned.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

                I concur with David, I tried Alpha4v6 with Windows xp, at first everything looks fine but after checking through 3 or 4 hundred records it was noticed that the records had become corrupt.

                Take care.

                Keith

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

                  I bought the v8 software upgrade to get around the issues inherent with running v3 in XP, so that is done. Thanks for the info on the config.nt file; I'll need to modify the files & buffers in that file for my application.

                  The Symantec artifact that I am getting when I start the program is something I guess we'll have to live with until we do a new "reinstall" on the computer.

                  Thanks for your input.

                  EJ
                  EJ
                  In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice, there is. - Unknown

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

                    I'm having a problem running Alpha 4, v 5 on a Windows XP Pro machine: the screen image is squeezed into only the top half of the monitor. I can actually use it but it's very difficult to operate it this way. I know I could trade up to Alpha 5 but it would seem like trading in a great classic International pickup for a Chevy. It just wouldn't seem like the thing to do to a devoted International pickup guy. Help, please. Thanks.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

                      Jim,
                      Apparently you have done a bit of searching as you found this older thread. As you have probably found while searching the small screen is a typical problem---cannot remember if anyone really came up with a great solution for it.

                      My question to you is .....why would you want to take the possible risk of data corruption by using your version of Alpha on an unsupported OS platform?
                      Mike
                      __________________________________________
                      It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
                      It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
                      Henry David Thoreau
                      __________________________________________



                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

                        Mike,
                        I appreciate your comment. The reason I was hoping to stay with Alpha4, v3 is because I know how to do what I need to do with it. I tried Alpha5, v9 but gave up after not being able to import the database I have in Alpha4 (I could run it in Alpha5 as long as I kept it on a floppy disk but I could never get A5 to save it on the hard drive. I just don't have the time to dwelve into the minutia of a complicated database package because it takes me away from running my business / serving my customers. If Alpha4 won't run on new machines, I guess I'll just use Excel as a my database. I've figured out how to use their Form to enter new contacts and searches. But still, I would like to figure out how to save an Alpha4 database to Alpha5, v 9. Thanks for any help you can provide.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

                          Jim,
                          As this thread states, you can upgrade to Alpha4 v8 which will run on XP (maybe not Vista or Win7 unless perhaps in compatibility mode). I do not think there would be any conversion then for you.

                          Here is a link to it
                          https://www.alphasoftware.com/AlphaFour/
                          Mike
                          __________________________________________
                          It is only when we forget all our learning that we begin to know.
                          It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see.
                          Henry David Thoreau
                          __________________________________________



                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Running Alpha 4 on XP Machine

                            Hi All,

                            I've been using Alpha4 Version 2.00.06 (single user) on an old Windows XP machine for some time. However, this particular PC is very non-standard. I have deliberately crippled it so that many Windows services and networking capabilities are disabled. Also I had to edit the "files=40" statement in C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONFIG.NT to "files=100" or A4 would not launch properly.

                            I've also run A4v2-single-user successfully on a contemporary Windows XP SP3 computer inside of an emulator called "DOSBox."

                            http://www.dosbox.com/

                            While I haven't tested A4 in DOSBox extensively, the combination might provide just the functionality you need.

                            -moy

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